Sectional counter for tellers and the like



1965 F. c. KEGEL 3,202,468

SECTIONAL COUNTER FOR TELLERS AND THE LIKE Filed July 2, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Z2 JNVEN TOR.

United States Patent 3,292,463 SECTIflNAL COUNTER FGR TELLERS AND THE Lilith,

Francis C. Kegel, Kenmore, assignor to APF ludustries, Inc, Bnlialo, N.Y., a corporation oi New York Filed July 2, 1962, Ser. No. 206346 8 Unitas. (Cl. 3l2-14-ll.'l)

This invention relates to a sectional counter for business transactions such as between tellers on one side of the counter and customers on the other side. While numerous additional specialized sections can be incorporated, such as inside corners, outside corners, end sections, etc., the sectional counter is shown as composed of taller cabinet sections alternating with deal plate sections, the transactions being across the deal plate sections and the cabinet sections containing records, supplies, business machines, telephones or other paraphernalia needed by the teller.

An important object of the invention is to provide a counter for tellers and the like which is greatly reduced in cost as compared with a custom built counter, both in layout or engineering cost and also in installation cost, the carpentry, finishing and electrical wiring cost being a small fraction of the costs attendant upon the installation of custom built counters.

Another object is to provide such a counter which is sturdy and rugged in construction, with the various sec tions solidly united, and at the same time can readily be removed, replaced, rearranged, or added to with a minimum of cost and effort.

Another object is to provide such a sectional counter having a flexible design and composed of related but dissimilar sections capable of being joined in a wide variety of combinations to produce counters adapted to different layouts or" the enclosure being furnished and to dis similar uses. For simplicity, however, the invention is illustrated only in conjunction with the two types of units mentioned, namely, deal plate units and cabinet units.

Another object is to provide such a counter which is light proof, that is, through which light from the other side of the counter cannot be seen.

Another object is to provide such a sectional counter of dignified but pleasing and attractive appearance from the customer side.

Another important specific object is to provide adequate Wireways for all business machines, light and communication service, including wireways extending the full length of the counter, elevated wireways on the teller side of the cabinet sections and concealed wireways on the customer side of the deal plate sections.

Another object is to place such wireways in such manner as to not interfere with other services and uses of the counter.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and drawings in which:

FiG. 1 is a fragmentary elevational view, viewed from the customer side, of a sectional counter embodying the present invention and showing both deal plate units and also cabinet units or sections interposed between the deal plate units or sections, these units being connected together in tandem to form a single sectional counter.

FIG. 2 is a vertical section taken generally on line 2-2, FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top plan View thereof.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken generally on line 44, FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a further enlarged fragmentary horizontal section taken generally on line 5-5, FIG. 4.

did g idh "ice FIG. 6 is a still further enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken on line 6-6, FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged section through the deal plate unit or section taken generally on line 7-7, FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged vertical section through the counter unit or section taken generally on line 8-8, FIG. 1.

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary horizontal section through the upper part of one of the cabinet units, this section being taken generally on line 9-9, FIG. 1.

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken generally on line ill-11), FIG. 1.

While the invention is applicable to sectional counters of many different forms and uses, it is illustrated as a sectional counter composed of deal plate units or sections indicated generally at 15 alternating with cabinet units or sections indicated generally at 16, these units being connected together in tandem so as to form a single linear counter. Each of these units is shown as in part made of panels of wood, hardboard, composition or the like, it being usual with hardboard panels to laminate the working surfaces and at least those surfaces viewed by the customer so as to increase the serviceability and attractive appearance of the counter as a whole.

Referring particularly to the cabinet unit or section 1-6, each of these units has a rectangular base comprising a kickboard panel 18 on the customer side, a kiclrboard panel 19 on the teller side and side panel members 29 between the ends of these kickboards or kickbo'ard panels.

Preferably at each corner the corresponding side panel member 20 and kickboard is connected to an internal rectangular corner post 21 and each of these corner posts 21 can have a vertically adjustable foot 22, the vertical adjustment of these feet permitting of levelling the counter.

This rectangular base supports a horizontal rectangular bottom panel 23 which can be secured upon the upper edges of the kickboards 18, 19 and side panel members 2t) in any suitable manner, opposite edges 24 of this panel alining with the inner vertical faces of the side panel members 29 but the other edges 25 of this panel 23 projecting eyond the kickboards 18 and 19 so as to provide toe spaces 26 and 28 on both the customer and teller side of the unit. Vertical side panel members 29 rest on and rise from the top edges of the side panel members 2th of the base and can be secured to the base and bottom panel 23 in any suitable manner.

Each rectangular side panel member 29 comprises a rectangular lower portion 3% the lower edge of which is coextensive with the side edge 24 of its horizontal bottom panel 23. Each side panel member 29 also has a smaller rectangular top portion or upward extension 31 at the customer side of the panel, the edges of these two portions 30 and 31 on the customer side being a linear continuation of one another. Each unit 16 also includes an upper countertop panel 33 the opposite side edges of which are coextensive with and are secured upon the top edges of the bottom portions 38! of the side panel members 29 as best shown in FIG. 6. Each unit also includes a small horizontal rectangular top panel 34 the opposite end edges of which connect and are secured to the top edges of the upward extensions 31 of the side panel members 29 of each unit.

Each unit also has a rectangular vertical panel 35 enclosing the customer side of the unit the edges of this front panel conforming to and being secured to the corresponding edges of the bottom panel 23, side panel mem bers 29, including both the lower and upper portions 39, 31 thereof, and the top panel 34, this front panel 35 also abutting against the countertop panel 33.

An important feature of the invention resides in the provision of continuous wireways through all of the units both for power and communication service and in the provision of means for rendering the wires in these wireways conveniently accessible for machine-s, -lights and telephones contained within or mounted on the various units. For the purpose of providing such'conveniently accessible wireways, each cabinet unit 16 is additionally preferably constructed as follows:

Secured to the underside of the bottom panel 23 of each unit 16 is a plurality of transversely spaced wooden bars'36, 38, 39 arranged in spaced relation to one an other and adjacent to and parallel with the kickplate 18 so as to form three wireway-s 40, 41, 42 within the base of the unit 16 on the customer side thereof. The ends of these spaced bars extend through a rectangular recess 37 provided in the top edge of the side panels 20 of the base so as to provide openings 43, 44, 45 at the ends of the several wireway-s 40, 41, 42 through these side panels 20 of the base of the unit. The underside of the several wireways 40, 41, 42 can be enclosedby a rectangular board or board member 46 of hardboard secured to the undersides of the spacer bars 36, 38 and 39, and in order to render the several raceways 40, 41, 42 conveniently accessible to the inner chamber 48 of the unit a rectangular hole 49 is provided in the bottom panel 23 in line with each of the wireways 40, 41 and 42 so that communication or power lines can be fished through this opening from the wireways for any particular purpose.

To permit of conveniently bringing either power or communication lines to the chamber 50 above the counter panel 33, an additional wireway 51 is provided along 'the customer side of this chamber 50. This wireway is preferably provided by a vertical hardboard board or board member 52 having its edges abutting the counter panel 33, upper parts 31 of the side panels 29 and top panel 34 and being maintained in spaced relation to the front panel 35 by vertical end spacer bars 53 and a bottom spacer bar 54. Access to this top wireway 51 from any of the wireways 40, 41, 42 is provided by a center bottom hole 55 for each wireway 51, this hole extending through the center of the spacer bar 54 and also through the upper horizontal or counter panel 33. To provide access to each end of the wireway 51 from the exterior of the unit each side panel 29 is provided with a vertically elongated hole 57. Immediately below the counter panel 33 and in line with the wireway 51 it will be seen that wires from the opening 55 can be passing through either of these openings 57 to the outside of the unit. 7 It will further be seen that the placement of these openings 57 below the counter panel 33 avoids such wires being visible from the customer side of the unit.

The opposite side edges of the counter panel 33 are provided with horizontal slots 58 into which a spline 59 can be placed for the purpose of joining the cabinet unit as above described to the deal plate units 15 which are preferably constructed as follows:

The base for each deal plate unit 15 comprises a panel forming a kickplate 69 on the customer side of the unit and a panel 61 forming a kickplate on the teller side of the unit, the kickplate 60 being in endwise alinement with the kickplate 18 of the cabinet unit 16. The upper edges of these kickplates 60 and 61 abut against and are suitably secured to the underside of a panel forming a horizontal bottom or foot rest panel 62. The nose 63 on .the teller side Of thi-s bottom or foot rest panel 62 is shown as reinforced by a bar 64 on its underside and this bar, nose and the top of the footrest panel 62 is shown as provided with a protective cover 65 of metal or the like. The horizontal edge of the foot rest panel 62 on the cus-. tomer side of the unit can be mortised into a front panel 66 of the deal plate unit, this front panel preferably extending down against the front face of the kickplate 60 on the customer side of the unit and being secured to the foot rest panel 62. V

The top edge of the front panel 66 is joined with the underside of a horizontal upper panel or deal plate 68,

tinuation thereof.

L the side edges of this deal plate mating with side edges of the horizontal upper or counter panel 33 to form a con- The side edges of the deal plate 68 are provided with grooves 69 mating with and receiving the splines 59 and resilientfill'er pieces 70 can also be provided between these opposing edges of the deal plates and counter panels 68 and 33 as best shown in FIG. 6.

Eachdeal plate unit 15'is suspended from a pair 0.

cabinet units 16 between which it is interposed and for" this purpose each of the side edges of each front panel 66 is provided with a vertical series of embedded nuts 71 each of which anchors a screw 72. These screws extend through holes 73 in the side panels 29 of the cabinet units 16 and hence it will be seen that these screws, in conjunction with the splines 59, serve to suspend each deal plate unit 15 between a pair of cabinet units and to connect these units together.

Desirably the deal plates 68 are T-shaped in plan so as to provide end projections 75 disposed in front of the front panels 35 of the cabinet sections 16. To the underside of the portion of the deal plate 68 projecting toward the customer is secured a board 76 which is shown as bevelled longitudinally and at its ends. An important feature of the invention is that this board 76 is spaced from the front panel 66 so as to provide a horizontal wireway 78 which registers at its opposite ends with the holes 57 at the opposite ends of the wireways 51 through the units 16. It will be seen that the wireways51 and 78 can form con.- tinuations of one another with the wireways 78 being exposed on the front side of the deal plate units 15 for illumination, from the top, of the customer side panels66 of these units 15 or for any other purpose. It will also be seen that the upper wireways 51 are readily accessible through the board member 52 for servicing any light, business machine or telephone in the compartment 50.

Another important'feature of the invention resides in continuing each of the wireways 40, 41 and 42 through the bases of the deal plate units 15. Thus the kickplate 61 of each deal plate unit 15 is in line with the spacer bars 39 of the cabinet units 16 and horizontal spacer bars 80 and 81 are secured to the underface of the bottom or foot rest panel 62 in line with and abutting the ends of the spacer bars 36 and 38 of the cabinet units 16. A board or board member 82 is secured to the undersides of these spacer bars 8-0, 81 to bridge the space between the kickboards 60 and 61 and form enclosed wireways 83, 84 and 85 connecting and forming continuations, respectively, of the wireways 40, 41 and 42 through the cabinet units 16. The opposite edges of each board member 82 can be supported by strips 86, 88 secured to the opposing faces of these kickboards.

After the several units or sections 15, 16 are assembled in alternation as shown, trim in the form of strips 99 of plastic mop board can be adhesively secured to the outside of the line of kickboards 18, 60 on the customer side 'of the counter and also on the outside of the line of kickboards 19, 61 on the teller side of the counter, this mop board being continued around the exposed bottoms of the vertical side boards 20.

In installation, each deal plate unit 15 is suspended between and connected to a pair of cabinet units 16. To mount e'ach deal plate unit 15 between a'pair of cabinet units 16 a pair of splines 59 are placed either in the grooves 58 of the counter panels 33 of the cabinet units 16 or in the groove 69 in the side'edges of the deal plates 68 of the deal plate units 15. A filler strip 70 of soft resilient Bolts 72 are then passed through the holes 73 into the nuts 71 and tightened so as to bolt the deal plate unit between the pair of cabinet units 16.

In this position the openings 43, 44, 45 at the ends of the wireways 40, 41, 42 in the cabinet units are in register with the open ends of the wireways 83, 84 and 35 through the deal plate unit 15. Accordingly, power or communication wires (not shown) can be fished through these wireways as the successive units are joined together. Any one of these wires can be easily drawn through the opening 49 in the horizontal bottom panel 23 of each cabinet unit 16 into the chamber 48 thereof. Through the central opening 55 in each counter top 33 any of these wires can be drawn into the upper wireways 51. Also any of these wires from the chamber 48 can be drawn through the openings 57 and through the wireway 78 below the deal plate 68 on the customer side of the deal plate unit for any purpose such as illuminating the front side of the front panel 66 of this unit.

It will be noted that when the sections 15 and 16 are assembled as above described, the group of three bottom wireways 4t), 41, 42 of the cabinet sections 16 mate, respectively, with the three bottom wireways 83, 84, 85 to provide three separate wireways extending the full length of the counter and through which power and communication Wires (not shown) can easily be fished. At the same time these wireways do not infringe on the space requirements for other purposes, being in the bases of the cabinet sections 16 and under the foot rest of the deal plate sections 15. It will also be noted that the access openings 49 in the bottom horizontal panels 23 of the cabinet units permit the wires in these wireways to be easily brought up into the main cabinet spaces 48 and that from these spaces the wires can readily be brought into the concealed wireways '78 under the deal plates on the customer side of the counter. Similarly wires from these main cabinet spaces 48 can be readily brought through the openings 55 into the wireways 51 in the cabinet sections 16 above the counters 33.

It will also be noted that the deal plate sections 15 are suspended from the opposing sides of the cabinet sections 16 and do not have side panels while at the same time the deal plates 63 are adequately supported against downward pressures by their edge splines 59 while the units are solidly united by the simple bolts 72 through the side panels 29 of the cabinet units anchoring in the buried nuts 71 in the vertical edges of the customer side vertical panels 66 of the deal plate sections. It will also be noted that light cannot be seen through the counter from the front or rear and that light transmisson through the cracks between the deal plates 68 and counter panels 33 is prevented by the polyester filler strips 7%).

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the present invention achieves the various objects set forth and in particular provides a simple and effective way of providing continuous wireways though the several sections of a sectional counter for tellers and the like through which access can be had to the customer side of the deal plate sections or to the teller side of the cabinet sections.

I claim:

1. A sectional counter for tellers and the like, comprising a plurality of separable sections of different height connected in end face-to-face tandem, each section having a vertical panel on the customer side extending upwardly to at least counter height, a vertical lrickboard panel on the customer side below and in rear of said vertical panel, a horizontal bottom panel extending from said vertical panel toward the teller side, a horizontal upper panel extending from said first mentioned vertical panel toward the teller side, and means forming a wireway one wall of which is formed directly by one of said horizontal panels and another wall of which is formed directly by one of said vertical panels, said means forming a wireway in each of the sections being in the same vertical plane and having their ends adjacent one another and one of said sections additionally having a pair of upright side panel members generally perpendicular to the vertical and horizontal panels thereof and joined to edges thereof, and said side panel members being provided with openings in line with said means forming a wireway in each of the several sections to join them into a common wireway extending the length of the counter.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said means forming a wireway comprises a board member secured to one of said panels to form another wall of said wireway and having its ends arranged adjacent said side panel members.

3. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said means forming a wireway comprises a pair of board members secured together lengthwise of each other and secured to said side panel members to form the other walls of said wireway and having their outer ends arranged adjacent said side panel members.

4. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said means forming a wireway comprises a vertical board member extending vertically from one of said horizontal panels parallel with said vertical panels with its ends arranged adjacent to said side panel members, and a horizontal board member bridging the space between said vertical board member and the vertical panel forming a wall of said wireway.

5. The combination set forth in claim 4 wherein said vertical board member is a kickboard on the teller side.

6. The combination set forth in claim 4 wherein said horizontal board member is a horizontal top panel arranged in spaced relation above said horizontal upper panel and extending toward the teller side from said first mentioned vertical panel, and wherein said vertical board member is arranged in spaced relation toward the teller side from said first mentioned vertical panel and is joined at its edges to said horizontal upper panel, said horizontal top panel and to said side panel members.

7. A sectional counter for tellers and the like, comprising a plurality of two types of separable sections connected in end face-to-face tandem and in alternate relation to each other, each of one type of section comprising a first vertical panel on the customer side, a horizontal bottom panel extending from said vertical panel toward the teller side, a horizontal counter panel extending from an intermediate part of said first vertical panel toward the teller side, a horizontal top panel extending from the top of said first vertical panel toward the teller side and a pair of upright side panels generally perpendicular to the vertical and horizontal panels thereof and joined to the edges thereof, each of the other type of section comprising a horizontal deal plate extending forwardly from said first vertical panel and forming a continuation of said counter panel, means connecting the edges of said deal plate and counter panels, a second vertical panel on the customer side secured to depend from said deal plate with its opposite vertical edges engaging the opposing faces of said side panels in offset relation to said first vertical panel, and means securing said opposite vertical edges of said second vertical panel to said side panels.

8. The combination set forth in claim 7 wherein a board member is secured to the underside of said deal plate along the customer edge thereof in spaced relation to said second vertical panel to form a wireway therebetween which terminates at said side panels, and holes through said side panels in line with said wireway.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 419,295 1/90 Sutton 312l40.1 1,420,942 6/22 Peyton 312l40.1 X 1,436,315 11/22 Huntress l0919 (Other references on following page) 7 UNITED STATES PATENTS Beersman 312 141.1 X Cronenweth 109-19 Gibian 312-1401 Davis 312140.1 Carrington 312223 X Ulrich 312-223 X 8 2,860,404 11/58 Alden 29 200 8,075,253 1/63 Hammitt 20 4 I FOREIGN PATENTS 5 581,926, 8/33 Germany.

680,032 10/52 Great Britain.

FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner. 

1. A SECTIONAL COUNTER FOR TELLERS AND THE LIKE, COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF SEPRABLE SECTIONS OF DIFFERENT HEIGHT CONNECTED IN END FACE-TO-FACE TANDEN, EACH SECTION HAVING A VERTICAL PANEL ON THE CUSTOMER SIDE EXTENDING UPWARDLY TO AT LEAST COUNTER HEIGHT, A VERTICAL KICKBOARD PANEL ON THE CUSTOMER SIDE BELOW AND IN REAR OF SAID VERTICAL PANEL, A HORIZONTAL BOTTOM PANEL EXTENDING FROM SAID VERTICAL PANEL TOWARD THE TELLER SIDE, A HORIZONTAL UPPER PANEL EXTENDING FROM SAID FIRST MENTIONED VERTICAL PANEL TOWARD THE TELLER SIDE, AND MEANS FORMING A WIREWAY ONE WALL OF WHICH IS FORMED DIRECTLY BY ONE OF SAID HORIZONTAL PANELS AND ANOTHER WALL OF WHICH IS FORMED DIRECTLY BY ONE OF SAID VERTICAL PANELS, SAID MEANS FORMING A WIREWAY IN EACH OF THE SECTIONS BEING IN THE SAME VERTICAL PLANE AND HAVING THEIR ENDS ADJACENT ONE ANOTHER AND ONE OF SAID SECTIONS ADDITIONALLY HAVING A PAIR OF UPRIGHT SIDE PANEL MEMBERS GENERALLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL PANELS THEREOF AND JOINED TO EDGES THEREOF, SAND SAID SIDE PANEL MEMBERS BEING PROVIDED WITH OPENINGS IN LINE WITH SAID MEANS FORMING A WIREWAY IN EACH OF THE SEVERAL SECTIONS TO JOIN THEM INTO A COMMON WIREWAY EXTENDING THE LENGTH OF THE COUNTER. 